Facebook Marketplace Buyer Requesting Refund for 'Undisclosed Scratches and Scuffs' on Used E-Bike

Ozybargdias on 30/07/2025 - 14:13
Last edited 30/07/2025 - 14:14

Hi All

I recently sold an e‑bike on Facebook Marketplace. It was described as used but in good condition.

Before inspecting the bike, the buyer asked if it had any marks or dents. I replied, “No, the bike has been well looked after,” based on my own inspection, I didn’t notice any significant marks, and certainty no dents. The buyer came that evening, inspected the bike under bright garage lights, took it for a test ride, and paid cash.

The next evening, he messaged saying the bike has “a lot of scratches and scuff marks I didn’t disclose” and wants to return it for a refund. When I asked why this wasn’t raised during inspection, he said it was too dark to see everything (even though the bike was well lit). He had requested the evening inspection time.

I know private sales aren’t covered by the Australian Consumer Law, so I’m not obliged to refund, but I also don’t want to be unreasonable. I can’t know whether any damage occurred after the sale, and I suspect he might just have buyer’s remorse.

What would you do in my situation?

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Comments

  • Wiadro on 30/07/2025 - 14:17
    +49

    “Go jam it”

    Would be my reply to them.

    • Dr Phil on 31/07/2025 - 22:48
      +2

      Exactly

      The bike was sold as "used"

      The buyer had a chance to inspect when purchasing

      Ignore/Block them

  • Seaword on 30/07/2025 - 14:23
    +29

    Too bad, block and move on.

  • garetz on 30/07/2025 - 14:26
    +55

    Once its out of your hands they could of damaged it or caused everything they are saying about scratches and scuffs, its their responsibility to look at it before they buy it.

    Never ever refund for any reason, they should of done their due diligence.

  • DingoBilly on 30/07/2025 - 14:32
    +24

    This is on them.

    You have no clue if they have had a crash, trying to scam you or just changed their mind (most likely).

    You did your own inspection, they did their own inspection in person. Too bad so sad for them that they changed their mind and trying to make up excuses to return it now.

  • ssfps on 30/07/2025 - 14:33
    +9

    This is why second hand stuff is sold cash, and should be much cheaper than retail rates for the same condition. No warranties, no after sale support.

    Unfortunately the extra risk in buying second hand is often not factored into the price by sellers or by most buyers, so most markets don't reflect this, and buying second hand for many types of items is a fools game.

    If you charged on the higher end then you could cut him some slack and give a % back as a refund. If you gave a great deal then say sorry but you think you've been fair. One way to tell how good a deal you gave him is how many messages you had within a few days/a week. If he was your only serious buyer, you probably didn't price it as a deal.

  • dtc on 30/07/2025 - 14:42
    +5

    Depends on how likely the buyer is to harass you for the next 6 months. I think a firm 'sorry, second hand is 'as is where is' and it is up to you as buyer to make your assessment' to start with. If it becomes weird then you decide if you want to stick by your principles or have the associated stress

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 30/07/2025 - 14:58
      +4

      Especially since the clearly unhinged buyer knows where op lives

  • Randxyz123 on 30/07/2025 - 14:50
    +10

    “Sorry it is sold as seen as a second hand item. As you requested an evening inspection and were happy when you took it and paid, I can’t help you”.

    For all you know he’s crashed it after he bought it. Not your problem. Were you just exchanging messages via fb messenger or did you give him your mobile?

    • Ozybargdias on 30/07/2025 - 14:53
      +3

      He's got my mobile, full name and address. On the flipside, I have his full name, car rego and bank account details (as he originally wanted to pay with PayID).

      • Randxyz123 on 30/07/2025 - 18:13
        +10

        If he rocks up at your house tell him to go away. If he doesn't call the police.

        You could call the non emergency police line and see if they have any advice for what to do if he decides to rock up. If he lives an hour away I doubt he is coming around.

      • qtr pounder on 31/07/2025 - 00:11
        +1

        Why would PayID mean you have his bank account details? 🤔

        • Ozybargdias on 31/07/2025 - 06:30
          +2

          He transferred me a dollar to see if it would be instant.

          • pulpfiction on 31/07/2025 - 14:13
            +1

            @Ozybargdias: Don't use PayID for this sort of thing. They can dispute and get a return surprisingly easy. Dodged a bullet this time!

            • Ozybargdias on 31/07/2025 - 14:17
              +1

              @pulpfiction: In previous cases where buyers have insisted on using PayID, I've waited for for the money to land in my account, then transferred the funds to a different account before handing over the item. Agree that cash is generally less hassle, but I can't imagine it would be easy for a scammer to get their bank to recover funds from an empty account.

              • pulpfiction on 31/07/2025 - 14:25
                +1

                @Ozybargdias: Interesting play! IMHO it's non-sensical people can reverse it in the first place!

              • RTX9090Ti on 31/07/2025 - 18:57
                +1

                @Ozybargdias: bad luck dude, he knows where you live, next time meet them at remote park where no one's around. park your car far away and make sure he didn't see you getting in your car. you sold the bike with honest intention but he plays you back.

              • gromit on 01/08/2025 - 18:03

                @Ozybargdias: Your account can go into negative and then u are hit with an overdraft fee.

            • miicah on 31/07/2025 - 22:04
              +1

              @pulpfiction: It's absolutely not easy. I got scammed (was only $50 but whatever) on marketplace and my bank lodged all the forms on my behalf and nothing happened. I assume the money receiver just has to say "no they transferred it correctly" and that's as far as it can go.

            • DiscountForThee on 01/08/2025 - 05:42
              +1

              @pulpfiction:

              They can dispute and get a return surprisingly easy

              Do you have a source for this? I've looked and could never find any evidence for this

              • Ozybargdias on 01/08/2025 - 09:17
                +3

                @DiscountForThee: There's a lot of misinformation around the ability to 'reverse' P2P bank tranfers - mostly stemming from confusion around pending transactions.

                Banks used to show pending transactions in the recipient's account, even though in practice, the money is still with the sender's bank for 24 hours and the sender can cancel the transaction at any time and keep their money. I've found this to be less common over the last couple of years, as banks have finally conceded they were rolling out the red carpet for scammers.

                As far as the ability to 'reverse' a transaction that has fully cleared into the recipient's account - I don't think this is possible without getting the police and the bank's fraud team involved. Maybe it's different for credit card transactions, but we're talking about bank transfers.

                • pulpfiction on 01/08/2025 - 09:36
                  +1

                  @Ozybargdias: Good to know. Would be good to hear people's experiences on this, particularly which banks have solved this!

  • joka on 30/07/2025 - 14:52
    +4

    You sold the bike at a price reflective of the age and condition. If he thought otherwise, he should have negotiated this with you prior to handing over his money. I don’t think you need to do anything more than tell him that.

    Only problem is, does he seem the type to come to your house and do something bad?

    • Ozybargdias on 30/07/2025 - 14:55

      He seemed like a pretty nice / normal guy. He brought his wife who also took a test ride and didn't raise any complaints about the bike's condition during inspection. Hard to spot a nutter, but he wasn't a crackhead or anything.

      • blitz on 30/07/2025 - 20:57
        +8

        Wait, so he inspected prior to the sale?? He is having buyer's remorse or has found a better deal. I wouldn't refund - he's not owed a refund, and he might have broken the bike in the time he's had it.

      • RTX9090Ti on 31/07/2025 - 18:58
        +1

        he knows where you live, he might come back and smash a window or two if he's not getting a refund. get a good quality cam installed.

  • zonra on 30/07/2025 - 14:54
    +5

    What would you do in my situation?

    I'd politely tell them to go jump. Market place sales are final.
    They may have damaged it themself, have buyer remorse, or outright just swapped it for their own damaged ebike of the same model (common scam on ebay: buy a working item that is identical to their broken stuff, then claim it's damaged/not working and returned their own broken item).

  • brad1-8tsi on 30/07/2025 - 14:58
    +4

    The buyer was given ample opportunity to walk away from the deal and not pay any money.

    You need to be polite but firm in your dealings with this person. Don't budge on the price or anything else

    • Ade99 on 31/07/2025 - 08:15
      +1

      You could offer a refund, less a suitably high admin fee for the inconvenience and processing…🤔

  • Yummy on 30/07/2025 - 15:38
    +2

    Sold as is.

  • AustriaBargain on 30/07/2025 - 15:41
    +2

    He bough tit as is, he can sell it as is if he doesn't want it anymore.

    • zonra on 30/07/2025 - 16:26
      +1

      What did he buy?!?!

      • samcro on 30/07/2025 - 16:34
        +1

        Tit!

        • Protractor on 31/07/2025 - 14:21
          +1

          A bough tit. It's a bird on a limb

    • EyyBanane on 01/08/2025 - 15:13

      Ah, that’s the problem right there. He now got only one tit, but two hands.

  • Porker on 30/07/2025 - 15:42

    While I'm also in the 'sold as is' realm and would want to say 'sorry but no refund', what would be on my mind and as you've pointed out, is that the buyer knows where I live.

    I'd be worried that depending on how stinky they were, they may seek retribution by damaging my house etc.

    As it were, I'm about to sell one of my eMTBs!

    • Ozybargdias on 30/07/2025 - 15:52
      +1

      This is playing on my mind too, but at the end of the day, I've got his details and it would be pretty insane to risk criminal charges over something so trivial.

      He also lives about an hour's drive away, so he'd have to be pretty motivated to come back for retribution.

      Definitely leaning towards politely standing my ground and dealing with any (unlikely) repercussions as they come.

      • photonbuddy on 31/07/2025 - 12:32
        +1

        Use the money you got to put up some cameras!

        • Ozybargdias on 31/07/2025 - 14:13

          Already got some :-)

          • Protractor on 31/07/2025 - 14:23
            +1

            @Ozybargdias: Just be calm and tell me no.(If you feel the need for any response at all.
            "Sorry bro, I'm not for going back in time. You'll have to sell it on yourself.It's your property,now."

  • wetsandwich on 30/07/2025 - 16:20
    +10

    Possibly a scam, either he damaged it himself or swapped it for a different scratched up one. If he wanted to pay PayID that was probably the first scam attempt - "yeah i paid but it might take 24 hours to come through" (it wouldn't have come through). But since you didn't fall for that, this is his fallback scam.

    Just tell him sorry, the sale was final and he had every opportunity to inspect, and that you were honestly not aware of anything being wrong with it.

    You could also make up something like you've already spent all the money on <insert emergency reason here> so that he realises he can't get blood from a stone, but I also don't like to make things up personally, just stick to what you want to do.

    Every buyer knows that marketplace is cash only + all sales final, and they can't pretend they don't know this.

    Then block him so you don't have to think about it any more.

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 30/07/2025 - 16:29
    +15

    caveat emptor
    Also consider purchaser may have just wanted to swap the battery out. You give refund and get your bike back with a battery on the way out.

  • mskeggs on 30/07/2025 - 17:00
    +16

    "Sorry mate, it is a secondhand bike in the condition you saw when you picked it up. I'm not running a shop which is why you got it for a cheap price. I can't take refunds because there are people out there acting dishonestly who might swap parts or something. Cheers"

  • brendanm on 30/07/2025 - 17:11

    "You looked at it, you deemed it acceptable."

  • Ocker on 30/07/2025 - 18:20
    +1

    Just keep a baseball bat at the front door

  • Muppet Detector on 30/07/2025 - 18:22

    Would it be rubbing salt into his wound if you offered to sell him some paint patch/polish and a polish cloth for $100?

  • Dollar General on 30/07/2025 - 19:44
    +5

    Inform them there is a 35% restocking fee

    • blitz on 30/07/2025 - 20:59
      +6

      THE BUYER INSPECTED THE BIKE PRIOR TO PURCHASE

      • gutwagon on 31/07/2025 - 10:45
        +5

        And his wife ! So 2 people inspected it and didn't see the scratches !

  • dojomojo on 30/07/2025 - 20:27
    +3

    The nerve of asking for a full refund because of some scratches - sounds like buyers remorse.

  • H3R34TH4C0MM3NTS on 30/07/2025 - 22:32
    +2

    Tell him to go GF. Never make an exchange on FB MP at your home.

  • brotherfranciz on 30/07/2025 - 23:32

    The mistake you made is giving them your address. NEVER do this under any circumstances when selling things! The meeting spot needs to be a public place in broad daylight with other people around.

    With this in mind (that they know where you live), be polite when you decline to refund them. If you struggle with the polite wording, maybe use something like ChatGPT to help you before sending the message (humanise it though, so it doesn't appear like AI wrote it).

    I don't mean to alarm you, but it might be a good idea to mention this to family or close friends in case something happens to you. There are lots of crazy people out there these days who want to hurt others for very little to no reason. Again, this is why you never give out your address.

    • Stealtho on 31/07/2025 - 07:35
      +8

      lol stop watching the news

    • reactor-au on 31/07/2025 - 08:53
      +2

      I always say cash on pick-up, if I only did meetup then it wouldn't be worth the effort based on the amount of people that arrange pick-up then ghost, or arrive 5 hours later.

    • umyeahokay on 31/07/2025 - 10:16
      +1

      Arranging to meet elsewhere is just asking to get screwed around. Buggered if I'd gonna sit in my car somewhere waiting for some no-show numpty.

      • Ughhh on 31/07/2025 - 13:26

        Buggered if I'd gonna sit in my car somewhere waiting for some no-show numpt

        Meet somewhere where you were gonna do some grocery shopping or whatever. You dont have to sit in your car and wait lol.

        • qtr pounder on 31/07/2025 - 19:51

          But there would still be some waiting. Unless you're asking them to join you in the freezer aisle or something, lol.

          • Ughhh on 31/07/2025 - 20:11

            @qtr pounder: My waiting time is usually about 5mins. I come out of the store around that time, or when I get a messaging telling me heshe's there. How much time you wait is dependent on how you plan your time and make use of time.

            If heshes a no-show, no loss, I needed to do my shopping anyway.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 31/07/2025 - 10:34

      Partially agree. Anything of significant value, meeting at a police station either inside or carpark. A lot of stations have areas now for this purpose.

    • bensl on 01/08/2025 - 10:25
      +1

      jesus. are you scared to even go outside?

  • pegaxs on 30/07/2025 - 23:40
    +5

    100% he went home and swapped out all the good parts to repair his bike from yours and wants to give you back a bike with all the busted parts.

    He had a chance to inspect it before buying it and he still took it after looking at it. If he needed more light, he should have waited for a better time to view the bike…

    Just be polite and firm… “sorry mate, bike was sold as is, where is. You inspected the bike at the time of sale and purchased it based on your inspection.” Then block the guy.

  • Artkin on 31/07/2025 - 07:51

    Say it was sold "as is" and that you gave them the opportunity to inspect it. If they don't like it they can sell it possibly for gain. You also did not record the condition of the bike at sale so are unsure whether there has been damage subsequent. Also you've already spent the cash.

  • Ade99 on 31/07/2025 - 08:10
    +1

    caveat emptor …. as seen , inspected and accepted, all sales are final….block the scammer and move on.

  • pwnd on 31/07/2025 - 08:22
    +1

    Refund? Yeah, nah.
    Delete ad, delete conversation.

  • 82norm on 31/07/2025 - 08:33
    +1

    Tell him you’ve had to pay off your debts to bikies and you can only pay back instalments of $2 a week, as you have other commitments with your drug dealers.

  • joshash on 31/07/2025 - 08:38
    +1

    I get you want to do the right thing but you also need to do the right thing by yourself.
    He inspected it and did not raise any issue.
    Decline, move on, youve done nothing wrong.

  • panorama on 31/07/2025 - 09:07
    +4

    Nice he swapped the battery for the one he had on his bike and now you have the dud battery if you refund are you insane???? SOLD and thats it… take a jump you dumb buyer….next time meet outside the Police Station.

    • umyeahokay on 31/07/2025 - 10:16
      +1

      What difference would meeting there make in this case?

      • panorama on 03/08/2025 - 19:03

        No home address !!!!

  • afah0447 on 31/07/2025 - 09:15
    +1

    This is laughable! FB Marketplace is a secondary goods market. I'm am surprised he didn't ask for a warranty!

  • Brianqpr on 31/07/2025 - 09:52

    Sold as seen, see you later.

  • anzacpaul on 31/07/2025 - 09:56
    +1

    This is why I never do expensive sales at my house.

    Public place, cash only, see ya later alligator.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 31/07/2025 - 10:36

    Never sell anything of value from your house. Local police station or carpark, depending on the item.

    If they resist, just say you've had someone snatch and run off with an iPhone before.

  • neilmenezes7 on 31/07/2025 - 11:03
    +1

    Ask him to send you photos of the damage. Then share the photos here. Compare with the photos you have before sale.

  • Ozybargdias on 31/07/2025 - 11:51
    +15

    Thanks for the advice everyone. I've returned to the buyer with the following message:

    I’ve looked over our messages and the sale details. When I inspected the bike before listing it, I couldn't see any dents or marks, and I described it honestly as a used but well-cared-for bike.

    You and your partner inspected the bike under ample lighting in my garage, had a chance to look it over and take it for a test ride, and were satisfied with its condition at the time of purchase. Since the bike has been in your possession, it’s not possible to confirm when any marks may have occurred, or whether any parts have been swapped.

    As this was a private sale, the bike was sold as inspected and I can't offer a refund on the negotiated price. I can assure you I acted in good faith and gave you every opportunity to conduct your own diligence before finalising the sale.

    • photonbuddy on 31/07/2025 - 12:34

      Since the bike has been in your possession, it’s not possible to confirm when any marks may have occurred, or whether any parts have been swapped.

      This is probably the only line I wouldn't have included. It could well appear to the buyer you're accusing them of something.

      The rest is all good, though.

      • ReaperX22 on 31/07/2025 - 16:08
        +3

        Disagree.

        Other guy being a unreasonable, it's absolutely fair for OP to state 'well now I have no visibility of the item and its use, for all I know you threw it at a wall and expected it to not have marks after'. Op's response was super valid and covered all points. I also like that they didn't apologise, either.

        From now it's 'block' and move on.

        • Ughhh on 31/07/2025 - 20:08

          You don't have to write everything that goes through your head to the buyer, especially when they know where you live and the comment is potentially triggering. Some people don't take accusations very well, regardless how fair. The comment doesn't yield any additional benefit to the first half of the paragraph.

          • Ozybargdias on 01/08/2025 - 09:30
            +1

            @Ughhh: It's not an accussation, it's an appeal to reason. If the buyer was in my shoes, would he be willing to blindly trust a Facebook Marketplace stranger with his money or property?

            I guess a nutter might take that personally, but if he was that sort of person, he'd probably take offence at anything other than a full refund.

            • Ughhh on 01/08/2025 - 10:59

              @Ozybargdias: It's up to you how you want to use your words to manipulate the emotions and responses you want from the person who knows where you live.

              It doesn't matter what you mean, whether it's an accusation or appeal to reason. What matters is they how take it and how it will affect you. Your next buyer might might not be right in his her head.

  • Commander Shepard on 31/07/2025 - 12:05
    +5

    "on ya bike mate!"

  • kolorijo on 31/07/2025 - 13:02

    Don't reply and block his number. No further interaction is required as the transaction is done.

  • Bluto Mindpretzel on 31/07/2025 - 14:55

    Ignore them.

  • PurchaseAnxiety on 31/07/2025 - 15:31
    +2

    That's the risk they took on when they bought privately. You also don't know what's happened to the bike since it's left your possession. Most likely that they're having some buyers remorse and are grasping at straws to get some money back.

    • Ozybargdias on 31/07/2025 - 15:33

      Username checks out!

  • imurgod on 31/07/2025 - 16:50
    +1

    I've known of someone who had a similar scenario where the buyer changed the battery to some cheap knock-off and took the official battery.
    It exploded and burned half of her house down.

  • Ozybargdias on 31/07/2025 - 17:13
    +1

    Buyer’s response:

    Thanks for your response.

    I understand this was a private sale, but I specifically asked about scratches and marks before purchase, and you assured me there were none. The damage I found wasn’t minor — it was noticeable and should have been clearly disclosed upfront, regardless of lighting or the test ride.

    I’m not claiming bad faith, but this does fall under misrepresentation. I’m disappointed that you’re unwilling to take any accountability. Since we can’t reach a resolution, I’ll be reporting this to Facebook Marketplace and will leave a review based on my experience to inform others.

    I hope you reconsider and choose to resolve this fairly.

    Well, that’s that. Probably a few lessons learned for both parties. Thanks again for the input OzBargain fam.

    • Protractor on 31/07/2025 - 17:18
      +1

      Next time ignore such BS, post sale. Or take pics before sale. Tell them when they hand over the cash, NO RETURNS NO REFUNDS.In fact put it in the ad.

    • zonra on 31/07/2025 - 17:25
      +1

      The damage I found wasn’t minor — it was noticeable

      Ask him then why didn't he and his partner see it on inspection.

      I hope you reconsider and choose to resolve this fairly.

      Meh, tell him "I consider this matter closed, the sale is final". Block and move on.

      will leave a review

      Lol, the amount of bad reviews I probably got for telling low-ballers where to go.

    • Muppet Detector on 31/07/2025 - 17:31
      +3

      Dear Sir, when both you and your wife inspected the bike, did you both have your eyes closed?

      Whatever marks you allege are there now, weren't there when you removed the bike from my premises.

    • wetsandwich on 01/08/2025 - 10:11
      +2

      Nice ChatGPT response from him there..

      Absolutely everyone knows that marketplace is buyer beware and no refunds.

    • trapper on 01/08/2025 - 11:19
      +3

      "it was noticeable" - but wasn't actually noticed, lol

    • The Value on 01/08/2025 - 22:25

      Nobody cares about FB reviews and FB doesn't care about scammers - legit or not.

    • MrThing on 02/08/2025 - 10:14

      "Ill report you to the internet police"

      cool man, enjoy your life

  • Logical on 31/07/2025 - 21:12
    +2

    Dude has swapped out your battery for another one and wants to give you back inferior product.

  • Cave Fire on 31/07/2025 - 21:30

    yeah had this as well, but more low ballers. scratches can be usually easily fixed so they aren't noticeable.

  • Hangryuman on 01/08/2025 - 09:31
    +1

    just reply 'sorry - you inspected to your own satisfaction before purchase, and second hand sales are 'as is' meaning no warranty or refund for later change of mind'

  • Cluster on 01/08/2025 - 10:37
    +3

    The buyer could have swapped his dud battery for yours and now wants to return the bike.

  • Menzoberranzan on 01/08/2025 - 12:32

    Once a sale is made on FB and the buyer leaves, it's adios. You're not running a store, there is no warranty, exchanges or refunds. If they keep bothering, block and say bye bye

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